"We respect all countries' right for freedom of navigation and flight under global law, but we firmly oppose any action to jeopardize the sovereignty and security of countries under the pretext of freedom of navigation", Hua said Monday.

Mnuchin appeared at a Beijing hotel a couple of days ahead of scheduled high-level meetings with Chinese officials in the capital, with a March 1 deadline looming to strike an accord. A ceasefire, agreed to allow for discussions with a view to brokering a permanent truce, is due to expire on March 1. "I believe you all see through these small tricks by the US side", Hua told a regular news briefing in Beijing.

"At some point, I expect to meet with President Xi, who I have a lot of respect for a like a lot, and make the parts of the deal that the group is unable to make". There have already been two high-profile meetings between the two countries since the start of the year, though the amount of progress made remains unclear.

On Tuesday, Trump said while he is not inclined to extend the March 2 deadline, he might let it "slide for a little while" if talks go well.

President Trump has said he will not agree to any trade deal with China without meeting with President Xi first, though this meeting is not expected to happen before the March deadline.

"When the time is right, the hope would be that the personal chemistry that exists (between Trump and Xi) will pay dividends", said Erin Ennis, senior vice-president at the U.S.

Beijing and Washington remain at loggerheads over U.S. allegations for China's militarisation of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.

China's Foreign Ministry referred questions on talks to the Ministry of Commerce, which did not respond to a request for comment. Many China trade hawks, inside and outside the administration, believe that raising the tariff to 25 percent may be necessary to force China to make the necessary concessions. USA officials are pressing China to stop stealing intellectual property from American companies and commit to deeper reforms to a state-driven economic model that they say hurts US competitors.

Popular news

Enes Kanter agrees to join Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers gave their Western Conference playoff push a boost by signing veteran center Enes Kanter on Wednesday. His agent tells ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the big man has agreed to a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Netanyahu confirms Israel behind artillery attack in Syria
Transatlantic cooperation was necessary to resolve problems in the Middle East, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said. Wednesday's conference is co-hosted by the US and Poland and its official focus is Mideast peace and security.

OnePlus to launch 5G gaming smartphone at MWC 2019
The device is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom first on EE, as CNET reported back in December, as early as the end of May. It is fully possible the company may showcase a 5G variant of the OnePlus 6T like how other manufacturers are doing now .

Struggling Apple looks for ways to stay afloat in China
In recent times, many Chinese smartphone makers are adopting a two-brand strategy to cater to different customer segments. Revenue from sales of Macs, Apple's wearables, home products and various accessories also sold well during the quarter.

More rate cuts could be in store as core inflation eases
Consumer-price growth reached 2.05 percent in January, well below the Reserve Bank of India's medium term target of 4 percent. December's growth was much faster than a downwardly revised 0.3 percent year-on-year increase in November, the data showed.

Leaked: Google Pixel 4, Pixel Lite And Pixel Watch
According to blog 9to5Google, the smartwatch was planned for the October 2018 event, but had to be delayed at the last minute. Although there are no confirmations from Google side, but multiple leaks and reports speculate its launch soon.

Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol traded to the Raptors
Star point guard Jeremy Lin is slated to reinforce the Toronto Raptors to push their playoff chances. The team said VanVleet suffered a "partial ligament injury" during Saturday's game .